Commoners Who Married Royalty

Posted by Susy Alexandre on September 28, 2017

It’s safe to say that for most of us, our closest royal encounter may be a mere spotting of Prince William or Harry smiling up at us from the covers of the tabloids at the grocery store. But for the following commoners who married into royal families across the globe, they managed to get much, much closer. Read on for a list of 14 commoners who managed to climb the royal ranks through marriage.

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Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III

Legendary Hollywood starlet Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier III in 1956 in one of the world's most extravagant royal weddings. The two met at a photoshoot that she nearly missed. Kelly took on the title of Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco and the pair had three children together before Kelly was killed in a tragic car accident in 1982.

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Kate Middleton and Prince William

The handsome Prince William and would-be Duchess Kate Middleton met while attending St. Andrews University in Scotland. (And what a lucky lady! Just look at some of the most over-the-top gifts Prince William has given Kate Middleton). The two had an on and off relationship for several years, finally tying the knot in 2011, as the world watched on as one of the most publicized and publicly-embraced royal weddings in history took place live on television. With two beautiful children and a third on the way, there’s no doubt Kate has taken to motherhood as well as she’s taken to her title of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge.

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Charlene Wittstock and Prince Albert II

Charlene Wittstock, a former Olympic swimmer from South Africa, first met Prince Albert II of Monaco in 2000 at a swim competition. The Olympic athlete and Grace Kelly’s son were wed in 2011 in spectacular royal fashion as Charlene officially took on her new title as Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco.

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Diana Spencer and Prince Charles

If at first you don’t succeed… Prince Charles may have first dated Diana’s older sister, but it would be young Diana herself who would steal the Prince’s heart. The two were married in 1981 as Diana (who would've been referred to as Lady Diana before the marriage, since her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer) became Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales. Today, her legacy lives on, and we've even noticed similarities between her style and Kate Middleton's best looks. See 17 times Kate has channelled Princess Diana's sense of style.

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Daniel Westling and Princess Victoria

Daniel Westling was first employed as the personal trainer to Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden before the simple country boy and princess fell in love and married in 2010. Their union was not immediately embraced by King Carl XVI Gustav, who worried Daniel would not be able to assimilate into a world so far and apart from his own, but after extensive royal “training,” Daniel was given the thumbs-up and the two hit the altar as the groom was formally granted the title of Prince Daniel of Sweden.

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Masako Owada and Crown Prince Naruhito

Masako Owada, a Harvard graduate, first met the Crown Prince Naruhito at an event for Princess Elena of Spain in 1986. It was love at first sight for the Prince, but for his would-be princess, it would take three proposals before his beloved would accept and officially become The Crown Princess of the Imperial House of Japan, marrying in 1993.

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Maxima Cerruti and King Willem-Alexander

Maxima Cerruti had no idea she was in the presence of royalty when she first met would-be King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands in 1999 at the Seville Spring Fair in Spain. The two were married in 2002, with the royal bride taking on the title of Queen Maxima of the Netherlands in 2013 after her prince ascended the throne to become King.

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Rania Al Yassin and King Abdullah II

Rania Al Yassin was working for Apple, out of their office in Amman, when she first met then-prince Abdullah II at a dinner hosted by his sister – and it was love at first sight for the pair, who made it official in 1999 as Rania became a royal and is now under the title of Queen of Jordan.

Letizia Ortiz and King Felipe

A CNN journalist on assignment in 2002, Letizia Ortiz was working on coverage of an oil spill along the Galicia shoreline when she first met then-Prince Felipe of Spain. The two were wed in 2004, and when King Felipe ascended the throne, his bride became Her Royal Highness The Queen of Asturias.

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Jetsun Pema and King Jigme

Then-prince Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck Bhutanese (whew!) first met his would-be bride at a picnic when she was just seven years old, 10 years his junior. In an adorable exchange, he told the young girl that when she grew up, if they were both single, they would be married. True to his word, the pair were married in 2011, officially titling Jetsun as the Queen of Bhutan.

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Tatiana Blatnik and Prince Nikolaos

A former event planner for designer Diane Von Furstenburg, Tatiana Blatnik first met notorious bachelor Prince Nikolaos on a ski trip in 2003. The two were married in a Greek ceremony in 2010 as the bride became Her Royal Highness Princess Tatiana of Greece and Denmark.

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Sofia Hellqvist and Prince Carl Philip

A former reality TV star and model, Sofia Hellqvist and Prince Carl Philip of Sweden announced their engagement in 2014 after stepping out as a couple in 2010. The pair wed in 2015 as the blushing bride became Princess Sofia, Duchess of Varmland.

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Christopher O’Neill and Princess Madeleine

An American-British financier, Christopher O’Neill married Princess Madeleine in 2013. Though he does not hold a title, this has been a benefit to Christopher, as it has enabled him to continue his career in finance as a private citizen.

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Marie-Chantal Miller and Crown Prince Pavlos

One of three Miller sisters who have all had famed marriages (one sister Pia married into the Getty family and other Alexandra was once married to the son of designer Diane Von Furstenburg), Marie-Chantal married Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and became Crown Princess of Greece in 1995.